ERC, Tour de Corse : Le bon Tour de Sarrazin ! / Sarrazin’s laurels!

Stéphane Sarrazin et son copilote insulaire Jacques-Julien Renucci (Ford/Michelin) ont remporté le 57e Giru di Corsica-Tour de Corse, dernière manche du Championnat d’Europe des Rallyes FIA. Bryan Bouffier (Ford) et Kevin Abbring (Peugeot) complètent le podium. Esappeka Lappi est Champion d’Europe 2014.

Deux semaines après avoir remporté le Criterium des Cévennes, épreuve mythique du Championnat de France des Rallyes, le Français Stéphane Sarrazin s’est imposé sur un autre « monument » du rallye, le Tour de Corse, au volant d’une Ford Fiesta RRC équipée de pneus Michelin.

Véritable touche-à-tout du sport automobile, Stéphane Sarrazin (39 ans) a mené carrière en Karting, Formule 3, Formule 3000, Formule Un, Endurance, Grand Am, et Rallye où il a été Champion de France en 2004 et pilote officiel Subaru en WRC… Cette année, Stéphane évolue en Championnat du monde d’Endurance FIA (Toyota Racing) et en Formula E (Venturi Grand Prix). Malgré un planning très chargé, il a trouvé le temps de disputer son 5^e Tour de Corse, une épreuve qu’il affectionne.

En provenance directe de Shanghai, Stéphane a vite trouvé le rythme sur les petites routes de l’Ile de Beauté. Le Tour de Corse 2014 s’est résumé en un duel Sarrazin/Bouffier. Les deux hommes, au volant de machines identiques, ont conclu la 1^ère journée séparés par 1.7 seconde. Au cours de la seconde étape disputée autour d’Ajaccio, Stéphane Sarrazin a peu à peu creusé l’écart sur le vainqueur sortant Bryan Bouffier, qui a frôlé la correctionnelle dans l’avant-dernière spéciale.

Le pilote de la Peugeot Rally Academy Kevin Abbring (Peugeot 208 T16/Michelin) a conclu sa saison par un podium. Il n’avait plus vu l’arrivée d’un rallye ERC depuis le mois de mai. Son équipier Craig Breen a dû se retirer le 1^er jour (différentiel).

Le Français Eric Camilli (Peugeot 207 S2000) a terminé à la 4^e place, son plus beau résultat sur la scène européenne à ce jour. Il devance un autre pilote tricolore, Romain Dumas (Porsche), finalement 5^e après l’abandon du Champion de France Julien Maurin (Ford). Bruno Magalhaes (Peugeot) a récupéré la 6^e place, devant le 1^er pilote corse Jean-Mathieu Léandri (Peugeot).

Malgré sa sortie de route, le Finlandais Esapekka Lappi (Skoda/Michelin) est Champion d’Europe des Rallyes FIA 2014. Le pilote officiel Skoda était assuré du titre avant le départ du Tour de Corse puisque son seul rival, Sepp Wiegand, n’a pas pris le départ (accident en essais).

Stéphane Lefebvre (Peugeot 208 R2/Michelin) a réussi l’exploit de remporter trois titres cette saison ! Champion du monde Junior et WRC-3, le voilà désormais Champion d’Europe Junior après une 2^e place au Tour de Corse derrière l’Italien Andrea Crugnola. Les catégories 2-roues motrices et Production ont été gagnées par le Corse Pierre-Antoine Guglielmi (Renault Clio).

La saison 2014 s’est achevée à Ajaccio, face à la Mer Méditerranée. Le Championnat d’Europe des Rallyes FIA 2015 s’élancera dans 57 jours en Autriche (Jännerrallye, 4/6 janvier).

The 57th Tour de Corse, final round of the 2014 FIA European Rally Championship, was won by Stéphane Sarrazin and his Ajaccio-based co-driver Jacques-Julien Renucci (Ford/Michelin). They were joined on the podium by Bryan Bouffier (Ford) and Kevin Abbring (Peugeot). Esappeka Lappi is the 2014 ERC champion.

Two weeks after winning the French Championship’s Criterium des Cévennes, Sarrazin added another French classic to his score with victory in Corsica driving a Michelin-equipped Ford Fiesta RRC.

The 39-year old all-rounder, who has competed in karting, Formula 3, Formula 3000, Formula 1, endurance racing and Grand Am, was the 2004 French Rally Champion and part of Subaru’s WRC factory squad. This season, he is racing in both the World Endurance Championship (Toyota Racing) and in Formula E (Venturi Grand Prix), yet he found time to contest one of his favourite events – the Tour de Corse – for the fifth time.

Following last Sunday’s 6 Hours of Shanghai (FIA WEC), he flew straight to the Mediterranean island where he soon found himself locked in a duel with last year’s winner Bouffier. In identical cars, the two Frenchman were split by just 1.7s after Day 1, but Saturday’s stages nearer Ajaccio saw Sarrazin pull gradually clear, while his rival almost threw away second place on the penultimate test.

Abbring (3^rd, Peugeot 208 T16/Michelin) rounded off his season on the podium after finishing an ERC round for the first time since last May. His team-mate Peugeot Rally Academy was eliminated by a differential problem on Day 1.

Frenchman Eric Camilli (Peugeot 207 S2000) was fourth, his best ERC finish to date, ahead of compatriot Romain Dumas (Porsche) who benefited from the retirement of the French champion Julien Maurin (Ford). Bruno Magalhaes (Peugeot) recovered sixth spot, while the best-placed Corsica driver was sixth (Jean-Mathieu Léandri, Peugeot).

Despite crashing out, Finn Lappi (Skoda/Michelin) made sure of the 2014 European title before the start when his only challenger Sepp Wiegand had to withdraw from the Tour de Corse due to a pre-rally testing accident.

Stéphane Lefebvre (Peugeot 208 R2/Michelin) added a third title to his tally. The 2014 Junior and WRC-3 champion collected the Junior ERC crown with second place in Corsica behind Italy’s Andrea Crugnola.

The 2WD and Production class was won by Corsican Pierre-Antoine Guglielmi (Renault Clio).

FIA European Rally Championship action will resume in 57 days’ time with Austria’s Jännerrallye on January 4-6.

‘67 L’Avenir Saxonette – Rook Motorfietsen

It’d be a pretty safe bet to say that most Pipeburn readers would have heard of café racers. Hell, if you haven’t then there’s probably not much hope for you. At all. But in stark contrast to the English tradition of café racing, the Dutch chose instead to race around their local village churches on mopeds. And while it would seem that something so predictable would be a godsend for the local police, you’ve got to admit that it sounds like one hell of a good time – especially if you were blessed enough to be out in front on a ‘ped like this. Meet Rook Motofiestsen’s ‘KermisKoerser.’

Rook Motorfietsen is a small Belgian garage located in Vilvoorde, about 10 kilometres north of Brussels as the Flemish crow flies. Yves Noël and Wouter Bollen do all the service, repairs and customisation of their mostly pre-2000 bike-owning customers. ‘Wout’ is an aggression expert (no, we’re not joking) in social care and confesses to be utterly obsessed with motorcycles. Yves was previously a Ford mechanic of the year and is now an instructor for the same brand when he’s not tearing around places of worship on semi-legal mopeds.

It’s true; size doesn’t matter. And the proof? Take Rook’s latest – a 1967 L’Avenir 49cc moped called the ‘Kermiskoerser’. In the 60’s and 70’s, moped races around the churches of Flemish and Dutch villages were apparently quite common. ‘KermisKoerser’ means ‘Fun-fair Racer’ in Dutch and it somehow feels like a perfect name for a bike that manages to look both jolly and kick-ass all at the same time.

“L’Avenir is a French expression for ‘the future’” says Wout. “And it’s also a Belgian bike brand that produced 49cc two-stroke mopeds and mofas (a European category for the next class of bikes down from mopeds) using HMW and Sachs engines from about 1959 until 1971. L’Avenir has always been one of the most well-known and more innovative of the Belgian bicycle manufacturers.”

This moped is a ‘Stassonette’ (or Saxonette) model and was originally composed with parts lifted from other brands: a Sachs engine, an Aprilia headlight, and huge rear fenders. Imagine a Cadillac and you’re not too far off. “This was Yves’ first moped and therefore it had been brutally abused. What else do you do when you’re a teenager with more hormones than common sense? You race. You crash. And then you race again.”

Sensibly, the boys started with a complete engine blueprint and rebuild. ‘Then, in order to improve the intake and exhaust flow, we shaved the block by 1mm, better aligned the scavenging ports and further adjusted the compression in order to optimize the engine’s output.”

The old paint from the frame and suspension was sanded off and the whole she-bang was covered with several coats of shiny, clear varnish. Together with the brazed welding, this gives an industrial look with a sweet, vintage feel. “The taillight holder and the headlight trim are custom-built and we trimmed the chain guard a little. The grips are made from Brooks handlebar ribbon and the internals of the grip had to be redone completely to suit the new leather. As always, it’s all in the details; many parts on the bike are handmade. The cream-white gas tank is the only painted part, but we feel the contrast really works well.”

If you like what you see, be sure and check out the Rook website. Who knows, if church racing takes of outside of Belgium you just might need the boy’s advice. Apparently the sharp right-hander just behind the Vilvoorde graveyard is a killer.

[Photography by Geert De Taeye]

via PIPEBURN

TURN YOUR CBR1000RR INTO A “CAFE FIGHTER”

How much power is too much power? In the motorcycle world, it’s a question that will never be answered. But if you love customs and don’t mind changing your underwear after every ride, Bill Webb has the solution for you.

His latest creation is the Stoc RR: a 178 hp Honda CBR1000rr turned into a “café fighter.” It’s a stripped-back sportbike with a retro-futuristic vibe, and because Bill is an industrial designer, the mods are easily installed and don’t require welding skills.

“I wanted to embrace modern technology and create a refined streetbike with a minimalist, cafe racer philosophy,” Bill says. “So I looked for a popular modern sportbike with proven performance and a beautiful frame hiding under the plastic.”

The 2009 CBR1000rr Repsol Edition was the answer. It’s capable of breaking the ten-second mark in the quarter mile, is easy to ride by sportbike standards, and includes modern essentials like anti-lock braking. It also has a beautifully engineered main frame.

Bill’s created a single seat tail assembly and a minimal front fairing that can be precisely machined, easily reproduced and bolted up for a perfect fit to any 2009-2015 CBR1000rr.

He’s also included mounts for critical sensors and gauges, using CAD design to keep the packaging sleek—and reducing as much weight and visual bulk as possible.

There are some very clever solutions here: the seat is from a Ducati Panigale and slots into a red ABS polymer tail unit, which in turn fits onto an aluminum subframe.

The fit and finish is factory-level, creating a custom bike that looks and feels like a production Honda.

Right now, Bill is fabricating a second set of parts. He’s building a black version of the CBR1000rr, with subtle design improvements and even more weight reduction.

“If people are really digging the design, I can produce kits that will bolt right on to your 2009-2015 CBR1000rr,” he says. “And possibly the 600rr too, with some minor mods.”

Any takers?

Via Huge Design | Full photoset and exploded CAD graphics on Google+ | Check out Bill Webb’s equally cool Kawasaki Ninja 750

via BIKEexif

paravent !